1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the dispensing of plastic bags and more particularly to a dispensing arrangement of plastic bags that protects the bags before dispensing and from which bags are dispensed open and individually.
2. Description of the Related Art
Plastic bags have become the preferred means for packaging goods sold in shops and markets throughout the world. As manufacturing techniques become more sophisticated, bags have become extremely thin, complicating their storage, dispensing and use. Currently, it is known to stack multiple thin film plastic bags and bond them together at one or more points so that the assembled stack of bags can be stored and displayed neatly. The bonded portions may be part of a bag root from which each bag breaks away at perforations between the bag and bag root.
Typically, the consumer or clerk grasps any convenient portion of the bag and exerts pulling force to break the perforations and separate a bag from the bag toot. This motion does not usually open the bag. The thin film from which bags are constructed is inherently flimsy and prone to static charge. The limp nature of the film combined with static charges cause the inner layers of the bag to cling together, making opening of the bag inconvenient and time consuming. Frequently, opening the bag requires extensive manipulation that potentially contaminates the bag. Additionally, the user frequently grasps and retrieves more than one bag. This often results in unused bags being thrown away.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,716,296 discloses an arrangement in which the bags are provided with a low-melt temperature outside layer. This outside layer allows stacked bags to be bonded together at adjacent outside surfaces, while the inside surfaces of the bags remain free of each other. This feature connects successive bags in a stacked arrangement such that removal of a bag draws open the next bag in the stack. While bonding adjacent bags in a stacked arrangement assists in opening adjacent bags, further improvements are possible.
There is a need in the art for an arrangement for dispensing plastic bags which is not only practical for transportation and display but also overcomes the inconveniences associated with bag retrieval and opening as described above. Ideally, the arrangement will reduce the possibility of contamination of bags before they are used.